If North American vehicles are considered too gigantic and heavy to safely share the road with reasonably sized European ones, the correct solution isn’t to forgo European-approved cars
A contributing factor may be the number of American car companies with factories here—I mean, there are a few European/Japanese/whatever auto brands that do some manufacturing here too, but not as much. It’s an industry that seems to have a political voice that’s larger than its contribution to the national economy (or at least, that’s the impression one gets from the news here in Ontario). Lobbying to tweak the rules to make certification easier for American vehicles than others seems on-brand.
If that is part of the reason, Trump may have torpedoed it, but it’ll take years for the mess to untangle itself even so.
What’s to be aggrieved about? I’ve never once heard the auto industry being a factor in western alienation. And I’ve written papers on the subject.
The auto industry is Canada’s largest manufacturing industry, contributing more than $15B to GDP and 500,000 good paying jobs. There’s good reason to protect it.
Yes there is, especially given how vulnerable it will be to Trump messing with the border, and how it could theoretically carry on with a bit of help. That being said, relative to the amount it generates for the economy it does seem to have extra political pull, like OP said. Maybe because people prize manufacturing over services or natural resources.
I’ve never once heard the auto industry being a factor in western alienation. And I’ve written papers on the subject.
Really? Well, let me be a primary source for you: More than once, the auto industry has come up IRL in rural Alberta, and someone’s said “that’s an Ontario industry so the federal government cares about it”.
That’s not necessarily part of the historical origin of the alienation - if you’ve written papers you’ll actually know more about that than me - but it’s definitely folded in now. I remember one conversation where I actually won someone over to EVs a bit with the fact there’s lithium in old oil wells.
A contributing factor may be the number of American car companies with factories here—I mean, there are a few European/Japanese/whatever auto brands that do some manufacturing here too, but not as much. It’s an industry that seems to have a political voice that’s larger than its contribution to the national economy (or at least, that’s the impression one gets from the news here in Ontario). Lobbying to tweak the rules to make certification easier for American vehicles than others seems on-brand.
If that is part of the reason, Trump may have torpedoed it, but it’ll take years for the mess to untangle itself even so.
It’s not just you, it’s part of what feeds into the western province grievance thing.
What’s to be aggrieved about? I’ve never once heard the auto industry being a factor in western alienation. And I’ve written papers on the subject.
The auto industry is Canada’s largest manufacturing industry, contributing more than $15B to GDP and 500,000 good paying jobs. There’s good reason to protect it.
Yes there is, especially given how vulnerable it will be to Trump messing with the border, and how it could theoretically carry on with a bit of help. That being said, relative to the amount it generates for the economy it does seem to have extra political pull, like OP said. Maybe because people prize manufacturing over services or natural resources.
Really? Well, let me be a primary source for you: More than once, the auto industry has come up IRL in rural Alberta, and someone’s said “that’s an Ontario industry so the federal government cares about it”.
That’s not necessarily part of the historical origin of the alienation - if you’ve written papers you’ll actually know more about that than me - but it’s definitely folded in now. I remember one conversation where I actually won someone over to EVs a bit with the fact there’s lithium in old oil wells.